2023-06-30 00:09:17
Updated Friday, June 30, 2023 – 00:09
The increase in water temperature is one of the reasons why this non-stinging species proliferates
Example of ‘fried egg jellyfish’ in the Mediterranean. CSIC Pilot project A shield against jellyfish
The increase in water temperature is one of the reasons for the invasion suffered by the Mar Menor of thousands of “fried egg” jellyfish, reports Atlas.
It is a well-known species and frequent in this habitat and, although it is not stinging, it is very unpleasant for bathers. In addition, the water is cloudy again, which also facilitates the reproduction of these jellyfish.
The extraordinary fact that jellyfish of this species can be found grouped and large in specific points It is mainly due to the fact that the Mar Menor is a confined sea and, in addition, it offers a temperature, salinity and nutrients, which allow a great growth of these animals.
The Cotylorhiza tuberculata, which are endemic to the Mediterranean, can reach up to 35 centimeters of umbrellaaccording to existing marine scientific literature.
Its fried egg shape, one of the amazing characteristics of this invertebrate is that it is an almost self-sufficient beingsince it has the energy supplied by photosynthetic unicellular algae housed in its tissues called zooxanthellae, which thanks to chlorophyll can synthesize its own food with sunlight.
The fried egg jellyfish gets, in a perfect circular economy systemmore than 80% of the energy it needs to live from the nutrients produced by these algae, since they need the tissues of the jellyfish and, in return, the jellyfish feed on the nutrients generated by the algae.
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